Great Lakes News

Great Lakes News

Senators Seek Solutions to Asian Carp Concerns

In a March 14 press release, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown D-OH and 10 senate colleagues urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to work on a long-term solution for keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. Sen. Brown is joined by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman R-OH and nine other regional senators in an effort to protect the Great Lakes, which have the potential to be greatly effected by Asian carp migrating from the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The carp could potentially diminish native fish populations, including perch and walleye, and damage the Great Lakes’ fishing industry.

The announcement follows publication of The Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study, released by the USACE in January, which listed numerous alternatives and technologies to keeping carp out of the Great Lakes, but did not recommend any of the options.

“With thousands of jobs and billions of dollars at stake, we need to do everything we can to protect the Great Lakes from the threat of invasive species,” Brown says. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needs to be aggressive and make progress towards temporary and permanent solutions that would stop the spread of Asian carp once and for all. The Army Corps can better achieve this by working with Congress and keeping it informed of its progress.”

For more information, visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study at http://glmris.anl.gov/.